Emerging L.A. Auto Show aims high and low

Supercars and super-fuel savings the key to first big show of the season

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Los Angeles, with its big car show kicking off Wednesday, could be sneaking up on the Motor City as the center of the North American auto universe as attendance and brand-new models surge from past-year levels.

No doubt, Detroit's massive showcase in January is still king, but the L.A. Auto Show has emerged as much more than just a pit stop on the way to Michigan.

"This show is getting bigger ever year, but there's still a long way to go to catch up with Detroit, there's no getting around that," Edmunds.com analyst Brian Moody said. "L.A. is unique in that it offers interesting alternatives more aimed at those on the West Coast."

It's that uniqueness that has caused press attendance to swell 50% last year and another 25% this year, according to Brendan Flynn, communications director for the show.

"We don't set out to compete or replace Detroit. Los Angeles definitely fits its own niche," he said. "This show focuses more on both ends of the spectrum. From luxury and exotics to the smaller more fuel-efficient vehicles, there's something for everyone."

The timing of the show also has a lot to do with what is shaping up to be the most heavily-attended event in its century-long history.

"Some manufacturers were getting lost in Detroit with too many shows bunched together," Flynn said. "So we've moved up our show and the date change has made all the difference."

Now, as the first big show of the season, the event will showcase more U.S. and worldwide debuts than ever before with a total of about 40. And in fine Southern California fashion, hybrid gas-sippers will take their place next to million-dollar Italian sports cars.

Green car honors

On the eco-friendly side, the Green Car of the Year award will be presented on Thursday, underscoring what's become a central theme to many of these shows in light of near $100-a-barrel oil.

Of course, previous award winners aren't eligible, or the honor would likely be renamed the Prius of the Year award. The Toyota Camry Hybrid won it last year.

Still, judging from the current list of nominees, Detroit is catching up at least a little bit with Toyota
TM, +0.30%
and Honda
HMC, +0.27%
in the segment.

As part of its pronounced green push, which has resulted in garnering three of the five finalists, General Motors Corp.
GM, -0.10%
will also put its Cadillac Escalade Hybrid on display after unveiling the luxury behemoth in Florida last week.

While many carmakers focus their presentations on fuel economy and lower emissions, Toyota, the undisputed leader in hybrids, will parade out its new Sequoia SUV.

Like the Tundra that was debuted in January in Detroit, the Sequoia will be bigger and more powerful than its predecessor. It will also offer an improved third row of seating.

From small to super

Far less sexy than some of the glitzier offerings but probably more important to the company's future, GM will put its Malibu on display and will also roll out its Chevy Aveo5 five-door hatchback to compete against Japanese rivals in the compact car segment.

While the major carmakers aggressively wave the green flag, Lamborghini will take the wraps off a beast of car that gets single-digit fuel economy with a 650-horsepower V-12 engine. But when the buyer is paying about $1.4 million for the all-new, and extremely rare, Reventon, a gallon of gas for $3.50 is hardly a consideration.

Other high-end North American debuts destined for Rodeo Drive will be unveiled by Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Bentley, Maserati and more.

And Ford Motor Co.
F, -0.08%
knows that while consumers clamor for hybrids and alternative fuels, historically, the Blue Oval has made its mark with heavy muscle.

With that in mind, Ford will debut its Mustang Bullitt, modeled after the car that Steve McQueen drove around San Francisco in the namesake 1968 movie. The car will go on sale in January priced at just over $31,000.

Nissan Motors
NSANY, +1.07%
also promises to up the ante in the sports car segment with its hotly anticipated GT-R, which Edmunds.com's Moody says could compete favorably with the benchmark Porsche 911, particularly with its $20,000 discount.

"People are absolutely going to love this car in the United States," he said. The Nissan GT-R debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show last month. This will be its North American unveiling.

There will be plenty of concept cars to gawk at as well. Highlights include GM bringing back the Buick Riviera nameplate and also rolling out the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell concept.

Porsche will join the green parade with its Cayenne SUV Hybrid concept while Honda shows off its fuel-cell FCX, with a range approaching 300 miles.

What's at stake

GM will look to generate some buzz for its new products after the company posted a staggering $39 billion loss earlier this month, casting a shadow on what had been a streak of positive developments, including three straight quarters of profits.

The Detroit giant will also look to build on the momentum of strong monthly sales results that have allowed it to regain the title of world's biggest automaker from top rival Toyota.

A crucial labor contract inked between the domestic automakers and the United Auto Workers will help to alleviate some of the unknown into the new year.

Ford, in the midst of a consistent sales slide, showed signs of improvement with its recent quarterly results, but will need to roll out some big winners soon to complement the success it has seen with its Mustang and crossover segment.

As for Toyota, the Japanese juggernaut has endured a spate of rare speed bumps this year, including three consecutive monthly sales declines and some disconcerting results in a recent Consumer Reports reliability survey.

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